Engine.



E W. FLETCHER.

ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 27. 1911.

1,080,272. Patented De0.2,1913.

T l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0' W awn/M2116 COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO,WASHINUTON. D. L.

EDSON W. FLETCHER, SEARSPORT, MAINE.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed November 27,1911. Serial No. 662,645.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDsoN W. Fnnrorrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Searsport, in the county of Waldo, State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description *of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in engines.

An object of this invention is the pro vision of an engine of such construction that the principles involved therein can be adapted for operation in connection with any desired driving medium.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an engine which employs the use of an oscillatory piston which is supported upon a drive shaft connected to a counter crank shaft in such manner that a rotary movement will be imparted to the latter of said shafts.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an engine which will be com-.

pact and require very little space thereby rendering it adaptable to all uses.

A still further object of this invention is to improve and simplify devices of this character, rendering them durable, comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and eficient in use and readily operated.

With the above and other objects in view v this invention resides in the novel features.

of construction, formations, combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken shown is driven through the medium of an explosive gas.

Referring to the accompanying drawings throughout the several views by similar characters of reference, the numeral 10 designates generally my improved engine which comprises a base 11 formed with a plurality of standards 12 and 13 which extend vertlcally therefrom as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The standards 12.

have formed integral upon their upper ends, a cylinder casing 14 which is surrounded by a water jacket I? also formed integral therewith. The lower side of the cylinder intermediate its ends is provided with an exhaust port 16 from which extends an elbow 17 to which is secured an exhaust pipe 18. A longitudinally extending oscillating shaft 19 runs concentrically through the cylinder casing 14 and is journaled at its opposite ends at points adjacent the standards 13 in bearings 20 formed thereon. A crank shaft 21 is journaled in bearings 22 provided adjacent the lower extremities of the standard 13 in spaced parallel relation to the base 11 and shaft 19. This shaft 21 is formed with a plurality of cranks 22 arranged to operate between the end standard 12 and adjacent the standards 13. The

shaft 19 has keyed thereon a plurality of walking beams 23 which are connected to the cranks 22 by connecting rods 24. The end standards 13 are provided with roller bearings 25 which engage the enlarged ends 26 of the shaft 19 and serve to decrease friction upon the oscillation thereof. A segmental oscillator 27 is keyed to the shaft 19 and contacts at its opposite ends with the end 28 of the cylinder casing 14 and a removable head 29 therefor. The upper side of the cylinder casing 14 is formed with a longitudinally extending rib 30 which is gradually tapered from the opposite sides thereof to its lower extremity as at 31, and longitudinally grooved at 32 to receive a packing strip 33 which rests normally upon the supporting sleeve 34 of the oscillator 27 and serves to prevent any leakage. The oscillator 27 is preferably segmental in cross section as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings and has its outer side curved to conform to the shape of the interior of the cylinder casing 14. The outer side of the oscillator 27 is 'formed with longitudinal grooves 35 in which are located packing strips 36 forced normally outwardly as is the case with the strip 33 by springs 37 to prevent any undesired leakage. The movement of this oscillator 27 is limited by the engagement with the opposite beveled ends 38 thereof with the opposite sides of the rib 30. The end 28 of the cylinder casing 14 is formed with a. pair of intake ports 39 arranged upon opposite sides of the rib or partition 80 to admit gas or other driving medium employed, into the explosion chambers 40 and 41 located between the beveled sides of the partition 30 and the beveled ends of the oscillator 27. The upper side of the cylinder casing 14 together with the water jacket 15 is provided with a pair of openings 41 connected by internally threaded sleeves 42 for the reception of the customary spark plugs 43.

A gas pump 44 is mounted upon the base 11 adjacent one end thereof and preferably between a pair of standards 12 and 18 and is connected at its lower end through a feed pipe 45 to a branch pipe which extends from the intake ports 39 arranged as before de scribed in the end 28 of the cylinder casing 14. The driving medium is supplied to the pump 44 through a feed pipe 47 which leads from a carbureter 48 which is mounted in any suitable manner upon the adjacent end standard 13. The pump 44 is of the ordinary type and is provided with the usual piston head 49 supported at the lower terminal of the piston rod 50. The piston head 49 is formed with the usual valve 51 while a head 52 is secured to the upper terminal of the said rod 50 which is normally held in its raised position by a coil spring 53 which surrounds the same and engages the confronting faces of the head 22 and upper end of the pump 44. A cam dis 56 is keyed to the shaft 19 for engagement with the head 52 whereby upon the rotation of the shaft 19 the piston head 49 will be operated serving to force the driving fluid into the cylinder casing 14 upon opposite sides of the partition 30 through the intake ports 39. A yoke 57 is slidably mounted upon the end standard 13 adjacent the carbureter 48 and has its opposite legs located upon the opposite sides of the shaft 19. This yoke is formed of any suitable non-conducting material and has secured to the opposite terminal thereof, a pair of contacting plates 58 provided with binding posts 59 for the wiring 60. A laterally extending arm 61 is attached to the shaft 19 and is provided in its outer terminal with a socket 62 in which is located an outwardly spring pressed plug 63 arranged for contact with the plates 58 upon the oscillation of the said shaft 19 serving to intermittently operate the spark plugs 42 for igniting the driving medium within the combustion chambers 40 and 41.

lVhen it is desired to time the operation of the spark plug so that the gas will be ignited upon the proper stroke of the oscillator 27 all that is required is to raise or lower the yoke 57 thereby changing the relative position of the plates 58 with respect to the arm 61.

The operation of the device is as follows: When an explosive gas is used for the driving medium of the engine the shaft 19 is rotated in one direction and during this rotation the pump will be operated by the cam 56 to force gas into one of the combustion chambers. This gas will be compressed by the oscillator, keyed to the shaft 19, and when this oscillator moves into the chamber which has just received the gas a predetermined distance the circuit through the spark plug projecting into said chamber will be closed and the compressed charge of gas ignited. The oscillator will then be driven by the exploded gas into the other explosion chamber. The gas delivered into the last named explosion chamber will then be compressed and exploded in the same man ner, this operation being repeated during the running of the engine. As the oscillator 27 reaches the limit of its movement in one direction the port 16 is uncovered and the exploded gases operating against the oscillator exhausted through said port and through the pipe 18. The burnedgases are permitted to escape through the outlet port 16 and through the exhaust pipe 18. When steam or other driving medium is employed to operate the engine the same is applied through the intake ports 39 in such manner that when a discharge is admitted into one of the combustion chambers the oscillator will be forced in the direction of the opposite side of the partition 30 at which time a further discharge of steam is admitted into the other of the intake ports and drives the oscillator toward its initial position, This operation is continued, the expanded gases escaping from the outlet 16 and exhaust pipe 18.

From the foregoing disclosures taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that an engine of the character described is provided which fulfils all of the necessary requirements of such a device. 7

Having thus fully described this invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in an engine, of a base, standards formed thereon, a cylinder casing supported by the standards, an oscillatory shaft j ournaled in the standards and extending through the cylinder casing, a crank shaft journaled in the standards, means for imparting a rotary motion to the crank shaft upon the oscillation of the other shaft, a longitudinal partition located in the cylinder casing, intake ports formed in one end of the cylinder casing upon the opposite sides of the partition, and an outlet port formedin the casing at a diametrically opposite point to the partition, a sleeve keyed to the oscillatory shaft, an oscillator supported by the sleeve, said sleeve engaging the adjacent'end of the partition, a pump oscillatory shaft for operating the pump, a connection between said pump and intake ports, means for supplying driving medium to the pump, a pair of spark plugs extending into the cylinder casing upon opposite sides of the partition, a yoke slidable upon one of the standards, contact plates supported by the yoke, and an arm keyed to the oscillatory shaft for engagement With the contact plates and operating the spark plugs.

2. The combination in an engine, of a cylinder casing, a shaft journaled therein, a sleeve surrounding said shaft, an oscillator carried by said sleeve, a partition extending through the cylinder casing and engaging the sleeve, intake ports formed in the cylinder casing upon opposite sides of the partition, a discharge port formed in the casing, means operated by the oscillation of said shaft for supplying fuel to the interior of the casing through the intake port, a pair of spark plugs extending into the cylinder casing upon opposite sides of the partition, a yoke slidably mounted in embracing relation to said shaft, contact plates supported by the yoke, and an arm keyed to the shaft for engagement with the contact plates.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

EDSON W. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

A. H. NIcHoLs, JAMES C. NICHOLS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

